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UN Special Rapporteur, Marcos Orellana stated that Mexico is experiencing a toxic crisis fueled by imports of hazardous waste from the United States and poor enforcement of its environmental laws. Following his 11 day investigation, he identified over 1000 contaminated sites in Mexico. Many are functioning as sacrifice zones where cancer and other illnesses including miscarriage and chronic illnesses are becoming normal. Orellana cited the polluted rivers in Puebla, Veracruz, and Baja California, the contamination of groundwater due to large-scale industrial pig farming, and the long-term effects of the 2014 Sonora river mining disaster. Air quality in Monterey and Tula is among the worst in the world and is attributed to air pollution generated by US based industries that manufacture in Mexico. In addition to identifying problems, Orellana criticized Mexico’s Regulatory framework which has been in place since the 1960s and lacks effective oversight. Therefore, he urged Mexico to establish restrictions on importing hazardous materials and increase enforcement.
The environmental inequality that exists within cross border economic interactions is exposed in this article. As a result of Mexico having less stringent regulations than those found in the United States, Mexico provides an attractive location for US companies who wish to dispose of their waste, Consequently, environmental burdens are shifted to impoverished areas. Additionally, these communities reflect the existence of structural inequalities in terms of power, namely that US consumption produces pollution that Mexico absorbs. Furthermore, the fact that communities’ experiences with illness are normalized in what was referred as sacrifice zones, demonstrates how environmentally harm may be shaped by political factors such as governance failure, corporate impunity, and trade related pressure.
In order to strengthen Mexico’s ability to regulate emissions, enforce cleanup responsibilities, and limit imports of hazardous substances, the Mexican government must take action. In addition, if the United States limits the amount of wasted stands across the border or supports safe methods of recycling, it too would be taking a step to reducing the negative impact experienced by local communities. While local residents demand greater accountability from both governments and industry, businesses should begin implementing internalized mechanisms to monitor their production processes and provide restitution to affected communities.
As mentioned above, this example exemplifies environmental injustice, dependency patterns, structural violence, and how weaker states experience higher rates of environmental degradation when engaging in international trade. This example is also relevant to class discussions regarding issues of sovereignty, regulation, and transnational environmental governance.